Living your life to the best when you retire.

Choosing the right path for life isn't always easy. We might run into problems and have to figure out what works best for us. Before we can make the decision to live life in retirement to the fullest, we need to take a good look at who we are and how we live.

Finding the right path is important so we don't miss out on what retirement has to offer. We need to do everything we can to make the most of life and enjoy the potential that we deserve.

Our lives may have been limited by the decisions we made in the past. This is why it's so important to think carefully before making decisions that could change our lives. We need to do everything we can to reach our goals and find out what we can achieve in retirement.

We've all made mistakes and chosen the wrong path at times. That's normal. The key is to learn from those mistakes and turn them around to make us stronger. We need to keep doing this even in retirement.

Sometimes, we let our past decisions limit us. It's important to remind ourselves to stay on track and avoid choices that will hold us back. We need to figure out a plan and find the path that works best for our retirement goals and dreams. Don't let anyone tell you that you're making the wrong choices. Take the time you need to be in control of what you truly want from life in retirement.

Get out there, explore different paths, and find the one that shines brightest for you. There are many ways to tackle challenges in retirement. If you don't use the right methods, it can throw you off course. Taking the time to get organized and learn everything you can will help bring your goals closer to reality.

People sometimes lose focus and get stuck on the wrong things, making it hard to move past life's problems. Staying off track can make it difficult to be successful and achieve our important goals. Take time to problem-solve, and it will help you become a better person in your personal and career decisions.

Being goal-driven is important even in retirement. When you're ready to pursue your goals and make them work for you, there are endless possibilities. You'll find that choosing your path makes you feel good and more secure in your decisions. It may take time, but once you figure it out, everything will start to fall into place.

Joe just retired after 40 years of hard work. At first, he wasn't sure what to do. He tried golfing every day, but it didn't quite make him happy. Then, one day, Joe remembered how much he loved painting when he was younger.

Joe dusted off his old paintbrushes and started painting again. He even took a few classes at the community center. Soon, Joe's paintings were getting noticed, and he was invited to display his work in a local gallery. Joe found a new passion and purpose in retirement, simply by exploring different paths and choosing the one that made him happiest.

So, be like Joe. Don't be afraid to explore new paths and find what truly makes you happy in retirement. The right path might just be waiting for you to discover it.

A Guide To Being A Remarkable Human Being

 It is important to understand that you do not have to do everything on this list,. If you do a few you will beome remarkable to the ones you love.Be Optimistic: Cultivate a positive outlook, even in challenging circumstances. Optimism not only benefits your well-being but also inspires others and contributes to a more positive and resilient community.

Be Confident: Believe in your abilities and strengths. Confidence attracts opportunities and encourages others to trust and follow your lead.

Be Humble: While being confident, remain humble. Acknowledge the contributions of others, learn from experiences, and avoid arrogance. True greatness often comes with humility.

Create Something that Brings Joy to Other People's Lives: Use your talents and creativity to produce something that uplifts and enriches the lives of others. Whether it's art, music, or inventions, aim to bring joy and positive change.

Invent Something that Everyone Needs: Identify gaps or inefficiencies in everyday life and create solutions. Inventions that address universal needs or enhance convenience have the potential to be remarkable.

Take Something That Works and Make It Better: Innovate and improve existing concepts, products, or processes. Incremental advancements can lead to significant positive impacts.

Start a Movement:  Advocate for a cause or idea that resonates with you. Mobilize others to join your movement, creating a collective force for positive change.

Fight for Peace and Freedom: Dedicate efforts to promote peace, justice, and freedom. Remarkable individuals often champion causes that contribute to the betterment of society as a whole.

Preserve Our Planet: Be environmentally conscious and take actions to preserve and protect the Earth. Sustainable practices and conservation efforts contribute to a remarkable legacy.

Help the Hungry: Support initiatives that alleviate hunger and food insecurity. Volunteering or contributing to organizations addressing hunger can make a significant impact.

Push the Limits (Break a Record: Challenge personal and societal limits. Whether it's breaking records or pushing the boundaries of what's considered possible, extraordinary achievements often come from pushing limits.

Revolutionize an Industry” Identify opportunities for innovation within an industry. Revolutionizing how things are done can lead to significant advancements and leave a lasting impact.

Tell Compelling Stories: Communicate your experiences and ideas through compelling storytelling. Stories have the power to inspire, connect, and leave a lasting impression.

Think Better: Cultivate critical thinking skills and a curious mindset. Being remarkable often involves insightful and innovative thinking that challenges conventional wisdom.

Read More Interesting Things: Expand your knowledge and perspectives by reading diverse and thought-provoking material. Continuous learning fuels creativity and contributes to being a well-rounded individual.

Don’t Be Boring: Embrace creativity, spontaneity, and a sense of adventure. Being remarkable often involves breaking away from monotony and adding a touch of excitement to life.

Stop Making Excuses: Take responsibility for your actions and choices. Remarkable individuals acknowledge challenges but focus on finding solutions instead of making excuses.

Never Settle For Average: Strive for excellence in everything you do. Avoid settling for mediocrity and aim to exceed expectations, pushing yourself to achieve remarkable results.

Do What You Say: Build trust and credibility by aligning your actions with your words. Consistency between promises and actions establishes integrity and reliability.

Don’t Aim To Be Remarkable: Instead of seeking recognition, focus on making a meaningful impact. Remarkability often emerges naturally from genuine efforts to contribute positively to the world.

Gimmicks Fade: Avoid relying on short-lived trends or gimmicks for attention. True remarkability stands the test of time and is grounded in substance and authenticity.

There is a difference between being remarkable and between being noticed. For instance, running down the street naked will get you noticed but it certainly doesn’t make you remarkable. However, if you were to run naked down the street of big cities all across the world to raise money for the homeless, then you may have a very good chance at being remarkable. In essence, being remarkable transcends merely being noticed. It involves making a positive and lasting impact on individuals and the world. Remarkable individuals embody qualities and principles that inspire others, contribute to positive change, and leave a legacy that extends beyond mere attention.

Feelings of achievement

You will begin to feel a true achievement when you have accomplished a goal. A goal could be large, or it could be you heart desires. If you have a problem reaching your goal it could be that something is holding you back from achieving that goal. If you would really like to know what achievement feels like, then you will have to focus on finding the steps you need to accomplish the goal. The first step in this process is to look at how far you have come in reaching your goal. The second step is to consider the fact that it is time to act like you have reached your goals.

One way to learn how to reach your goals is by convincing yourself that you can reach it. Then once you begin to feel like you can do it and you achieve anything, and then you can open yourself up to the positive energy and receive your goals. It truly does work! You will be able to accomplish anything and do anything, but you have to have some faith in yourself.

You will find that once you have the faith, you can never lose your faith. You will be able to aim and shoot every time hitting the target every time. The thing is that you will find that the feelings of accomplishments that you will get will give you such a high. You will find that there are many things that you will be able to benefit from the feelings. When you stop saying, "I can't" and start saying, "I can" you will be able to feel and think that you truly can and that will make a difference in your life.

You will find that there is a true high when it comes to the feelings of accomplishment that you will get when you accomplish a goal no matter how small. The knowledge that it happened was all on you. No one had to help you. You did it all by yourself and that is a wonderful feeling. You will find that when it comes to this type of accomplishment will feel a lot better about yourself and about life.

A challenge

I bet you could do something for someone today, who'd remember it for the rest of their life.

In a good way.

On your mark, get set...

Get Clear On Where You’re Going

 Have you ever felt that there’s just not enough time in the day? Most often, when we run out of time for projects or pursuits, the reason is that we’ve spent a lot of time lost in ambiguity.

When you’re supremely clear about where you’re going and what you want to do, there’s no time lost. Your actions are clear & precise, and you can make an AMAZING amount of progress in just a short period of time.

Fortunately, it’s pretty easy to eliminate the time-management nightmare.

1.   Plan your work.

Take a few moments to determine where you’re going and how you plan to get there. You don’t have to know all the steps or details; just write down the basic outline as you can see it.

2.   Gather your resources.

Get your tools in order. Make sure you have food & water and anything else you need to get started. What do you need to do this job right? Get it.

3.   Work your plan.

Give yourself a deadline, then follow your outline step-by-step. If you get lost or distracted, come back to your outline and see what’s next.

Before long you will have a finished product or project, and plenty of time to relax or do something else…like stare out the window for 20 minutes.

What are YOU going to do TODAY? 

Goal Setting

Those that take action are the ones that see results.

How do you motivate yourself to continue working toward your goals, especially when you face challenges?  I suggest that you experiment with several different ways of finding your motivation, and in a challenging situation you can depend on one of these strategies to get back on track.

Try these techniques:

1. Break your goals into smaller, attainable steps. Especially if you're working toward a bigger goal, break it up into a series of small steps that you know you can achieve. After each step,celebrate and reward yourself for a job well done. With small steps, you'll be more likely to stay on task because your rewards come often.

2. Know your limits. You know yourself best and only you can identify your personal limits. If you move too slowly, you'll know deep down that you could be taking more action. However, when you try to do too much, you risk burnout.Figure out that magic point where you can achieve success without much stress,and you'll remain motivated to keep taking action.

3. Take away your distractions. There are some things that might be more likely to distract you than others. Remove yourself from these situations when you know that you need to be taking action. For example, if you're a social person, perhaps you'll need to stay away from friends and family during the times you want to work. Also, avoid surfing the net, video games, and television when it's time to work.

4. Ask for the help you need. Don't be afraid to get help from others. There's only so much you can accomplish in one day all by yourself. It's true that sometimes you'll have to accomplish certain things on your own, but if there's any way at all that someone else can help, consider that possibility and ask them.

5. Find an activity that energizes you.Sometimes you'll find that there's a period in the day where you go into a slump. Maybe you have trouble starting your engines in the morning, or perhaps it's the afternoon that causes you to feel sluggish.

o In these times, find some activity to re-motivate and energize you. One thing that can energize you is a good exercise routine. It'll get your heart rate up and send fresh oxygen to your brain. This will refresh you, help you think more clearly, and make you feel more like doing your work.

6. Keep a tight schedule. A good schedule and organized plan will help keep you motivated and on track. In the beginning phases of planning your goals, be very specific when deciding what you need to do and when. This way, when you complete a step, you won't have to spend time figuring out what you're supposed to do next. 

If you want to succeed, you can do it through purposeful action. Just think about what you've done to accomplish goals in the past. Chances are you had a plan and followed through. It might not always be easy, but when you remain motivated, you'll reach whatever goal you set out to accomplish!

10 Tips for a Stress Free Monday

The following was written by Donna Kozik and I thought it was an interesting post with some ideas on how to start your week in a positive manner

Get Monday started the "stress-free" way with these 10 tips!   

1.  Tidy Up 
Take 15 minutes and straighten up your desk or work space.  A clean, organized environment is the key to maximizing productivity. 

2.  Lighten the Load 
Schedule meetings and more intensive tasks after lunch, so you've eased into the day. 

3.  Share Some Sunshine 
Pay a compliment to someone by singling out a recent achievement worthy of praise; the effort will make you both feel like winners and start the morning on a positive note. 

4.  Take a Bite of the "Reality Sandwich" 
Set realistic goals for the day. If completing Monday's to-do list means you must be much, much, much more productive than usual, you are going to get stressed. Scratch off every task that can wait until Tuesday. 

5.  Make a Decision 
Big decisions can be stressful, and you don't want to rush them. But don’t waffle on the small stuff—just make a decision and move on. 

6.  Take Control 
The act of taking control empowers you. Sit up straight and recognize it’s always your choice-- and there’s a solution to every problem. 

7.  Build Your Network 
The best way to “get out of your head” is to connect with another, be it a coach, colleague or mastermind partner. No doubt there will be at least one laugh in the conversation, which is an excellent stress reliever. 

8.  Confidence Through Learning 
Build your self-confidence by seeking out something new to learn. It will make you more emotionally resilient, arm you with knowledge and reduce stress. 
  
9.  Focus on the Vitals 
If you’re a business owner, your top-of-list activity is marketing. If you’re a writer, it’s writing. If you’re a speaker, it’s speaking. Make sure you focus on what matters most. 

10.  Accentuate the Positive 
You’re in this for the long haul, so make it a practice to look on the bright side of things and stay positive. Shift this by thinking of what you "get" to do on Monday mornings, versus what you "have" to do. 

Santa in July?

Here's a short story about how to become your own Santa this year.
The message is simple. It was delivered in the late 1960s by Glenn W Turner.  It goes like this . . .

"I remember I wrote to Santa Claus when I was nine years old.  My cousin wrote to Santa Claus and I wrote my letter exactly like his.

I asked for a new pony because that's what he asked for and he was pretty smart and I decided to follow him. Christmas morning I didn't have no new pony but he had a new pony.

I knew Santa Claus must have made a mistake because I was just as good as he was so I didn't bother worrying about it.Next year I wrote to Santa Claus and I asked him for a bicycle
 because that's what my cousin asked for.

I looked at his letter and I spelled it exactly right and got the right address because I wasn't too bright in school.

The next morning no bicycle but he had the most beautiful red  and white bike with the bebop birds on it and the flaps and the whole works.

I went out behind the barn and I cried most of that day.

He wouldn't even let me play with his bicycle.

The next year I wrote and I asked for a new rifle, and he asked for a new rifle and the same story.

All I got was apples and oranges.

I went out behind the barn and I said, "Okay Santa, if that's the way you want to play it. From that day on I made up my mind to become my own Santa Claus.

I challenge you to become your own Santa Claus. I challenge you to get out of life what you and your family deserve.

Sleeping Tips ideas Part 2

11. Make Your Room Peaceful
If the budget allows, paint your walls a tranquil color. Pick a color you  like, preferably in soft hues to cover the walls. Loud patterns, colored  stripes or bright wallpaper may interfere with your relaxation at night.  If you walk into a bedroom decorated the way you like, you can exhale  deeply, and fall right into bed. It’s your room and the way you like it.  Sleep sound knowing you picked it out.

12. Don’t Feed a Sweet Tooth

Sugar right before bedtime can mess up your night of sleep in a  variety of ways. 1 – The sugar can hype up your system and make it  hard to fall asleep. 2 – Sugar right before bedtime can cause vivid  dreams and even nightmares. 3 – The sugar, even after brushing your  teeth, can cause tooth decay! So, leave the candy in the jar until  morning, after breakfast. Then you can please your sweet tooth when  you have enough time to burn it off!

13. Drift Off to Dreamland
Our dreams, or the subject of our dreams, can ruin a night of sleep. If you have a problem or an argument right before bedtime, try to work it out before going to bed. You may have a hard time falling asleep, staying asleep or even experience bad dreams all night long. Write your problems on a sheet of paper so you can worry about them the next day, make up with a partner or solve your problems before hitting the sack. You’ll be glad you did!

14. Use Water

Using water can help you fall asleep and stay asleep. Water fountains are popular since the sound of running water is soothing to many people. The fountains can have a little trickle or a louder waterfall sound. They are all self contained and run with a motor and electricity. However, if you are a person that needs to go to the bathroom every time you hear running water, this option won’t be for you.

15. REM Sleep

REM sleep is the deep sleep we fall into for 2-3 hours every night. REM stands for rapid eye movement, as our eyes move rapidly during this period. For children and babies, REM sleep helps their brains to grow and develop. REM sleep is also when most dreams occur. Whether we remember them or not, most people dream every night.
 

16. Buy a Noisemaker

When the house is completely quiet, some people can’t sleep at all. Insert – noise machine. These little machines plug in and offer a variety of sounds to choose from. Some include a babbling brook, ocean waves, white noise and heartbeats. Heartbeats, you say? Yes. Babies have been shown to sleep with this since it simulates their mother’s heartbeat that they listened to for 9 months.

17. Play CD’s

If you don’t like classic music or even lullabies, play any type of CD during the night. Keep the volume low so as to not bother others in your house. The constant music can help to block out other noises that may be a distraction to you during the night. CD’s are a good option because they can be put to repeat and play all night long without you having to get up and mess with them.

18. Get Comfy Sheets

The best feeling in the world is sliding in to bed with crisp, clean sheets. And all sheets are not created equal. Sheets are categorized by thread count. A higher thread count means softer, comfier, more luxurious sheets. Lower thread counts tend to be cheaper, but can also be picky or develop fuzz balls over time. If your sheets remain soft and smooth, not to mention clean, you will sleep better.

19. Have a Support Mattress

One of the easiest ways to ensure you have a good night’s sleep is to have a good mattress. Go to a real mattress store and try out many different kinds. There are oodles of things to try: firmness, softness, adjustable, pillow top, etc. Don’t be shy in the store and lay on each bed. See what feels the best and buy it! Your good rest needs to start with having the best of the basics.

20. Use Weather Appropriate Pajamas

Now, I know, some people don’t wear pajamas. To those of you, who choose to, make sure they fit the season. Even if the AC is on during the summer, you don’t want to put the long flannels on. If you feel the need to, then maybe you should adjust the thermostat instead. The same goes for wearing a tank top in the dead of winter. Maybe the heat is set to high if you are that hot at night.

Barriers to living your dream

Job
If your current job is the reason you cannot live out your passions because you are currently a slave to your employer then you should find a new employer.  If you are not doing what you love to do in the first place then it won’t matter if you find another employer. 

 Your job may be your livelihood but you need to work toward being happy with your life and successful.  When your job is the reason you cannot be happy you won’t even be successful at your job.  You won’t move up and you will despise it.  It may be very hard to wake up every morning to go to work each day.  Don’t you want to do something that you enjoy waking up in the morning each day for?  You can and you have full control over this.

Fears

Fear is another one of the biggest reasons people do not move forward with their passions and make their dreams reality.  You can overcome fears and you need to overcome them.  By the power of curiosity you will be more open to suggestions and know that there can be a better outcome than what your mind has limited you to believe.

You might have a fear of failing and this is why you have not moved forward with your passions.  If you fear failing it is natural.  It is like learning how to ride a bicycle or learning something new.  Not many people start something new or take on a passion and immediately are successful.  There are many fears and failures along the way you will experience.  You have to pick yourself back up and keep it going. 

Being afraid to fail is normal and you don’t have to let it stop you.  When you fail you need to take it on as a learning experience so you can grow from it.  Failure can be turned into a positive experience.

You might even have a fear of success.  That might sound funny but many people are afraid to succeed.  They have problems saving money and as soon as they start saving up enough to start their dream they spend the money on something they don’t even need.  Later they are kicking themselves and begin the saving process all over again. 

You should never be afraid to succeed. This fear is natural and many people have a self esteem low enough they don’t believe they are good enough to be successful.  You can be as successful as you really believe you can be.  Don’t let your fears of what could be getting in the way.

Learning

Learning is another obstacle for many people.  You might have finished school 20 years ago and figure you are done with learning anything new.  You are always capable of learning even when you are on your deathbed.  You need to take on the entire learning process as a fun and exciting thing.  You will be living out your dreams soon and if it requires you to obtain a certification or learn something then you need to look at this as a stepping stone toward your goals.

There are many obstacles that you can say are the reason for you not living out your dream.  These are only temporary barriers that you are using as an excuse for not moving forward.  You are in control of barriers and your mind.  You have control of the people in your life who are supportive or not.  You have control over your job or the ability to creatively find ways to fund your endeavors.  Barriers can creatively be overcome to get started with living out your passion.  You need to stand up and say no more to barriers that are in your way and start living your dreams

Barriers to finding your passion

Many people are very clear what their passion is but they have external barriers that are in the way.  If you have barriers that are stopping you from living out your dreams then you need to get past them.  You have full control of external barriers and you can do something about them. 

People

The biggest barrier to someone not fulfilling their passion and dreams is another person.  It is common for someone to add input that is hard to listen to because you feel like you are being made fun of.  A person may ridicule the idea, think it is silly, and much more.  The last thing you need to listen to is an outside opinion if it is negative.

If you have a passion you need to surround yourself with supportive people.  Someone who is not supportive is not who you want around because they will only bring you down.  That is, if you let them. 

Many people have a spouse that is not supportive of a passion because they think the idea is ridiculous or they would be embarrassed of what your passion is.  This type of person you don’t need around you.  If you are making a decision of your spouse over your passion then you are restricting yourself.  It is important to make it clear to your spouse that you are passionate about doing something in particular and they need to be supportive of you. 

When you have the right support you can do anything.  When family members are not supportive emotionally then it can make things difficult.  The best thing you can do is let them know you are fulfilling your dreams and they will not stand in your way.  It is your life and you need to be satisfied with it when the time comes.  People who are not supportive you may have to shut them out for a while until they see that it truly makes you happy.

Money

Money is one of the biggest barriers that cause people not to move forward with a passion.  You might be an excellent mechanic and you want to start your own shop but you have never moved forward with the idea because of the cost.  Money can be overcome. But to overcome the money, you have to have examine your views on money and become more passionate about wanting the money. Money it has been said, does not buy happiness, but having money makes it easier to focus on what makes you happy and finding your passion.

There are many ways to get money together to start your own business or live out a passion that might cost a lot of money.  The best thing you can do is begin cutting costs in your life where you don’t need them. 

Many of the ways you can cut costs in your life include not eating out everyday for lunch at work.  Pack a lunch.  Consider taking the bus and not driving in everyday so you don’t have to costs for gas and parking.  Think about many of the additional expenses you have that you really don’t need.  You might buy tons of extra things at the grocery store you don’t even eat but it happens because you always go grocery shopping when you are hungry.

Every time you save money you would have normally spent on something else like a lunch at work you need to put the money away.  Open a savings account or buy a lock box at home and put the money in it.  Don’t count the money or ever get into it.  Just remember that every time you are adding to the box you are getting closer to achieving your passion.

One thing to remember is that by being creative with your life you will most likely find other ways you can make additional money to put aside for your endeavor.  You also may find a way to start your dream without any startup costs.  There are many ways to start your own business if it means you begin in your home first.  If you love to make aromatherapy candles and you have always dreamed of owning your own shop then you can start a business online first.  You may even find your online business is more successful than a brick and mortar store would ever be.

Money is an obstacle that can be overcome.  It is the most common excuse people use for why they cannot live out their dreams.  You should never fear for your survival.  In addition, if you have a supportive spouse they will help with the financial burden while you are getting started so you can live out your dreams.  In most cases, the financial payout in the end will be much better.

Time

Another reason many people do not live out their passions and make them happen is because they say they do not have the time.  This could be close to true if you commute to work hours away and get home late at night.  It is common for many people to be slaves to their work and never have time even for their family.  This makes them feel selfish when they want to take time out for themselves to live out a passion.

If time is a problem you must find a way to make time in your life to do what it is that you want to do.  You might consider waking up an hour or two earlier every day or staying up just a little bit later.  Remember, sleep is important for happiness and a good day so you cannot cut too much into your sleep.

You might get an hour for your lunch hour and can bring crafts with you to work or your laptop to work.  This way you can work on your passion an hour each day.  Finding the time is very important.

Time wasted is very common for people who claim they do not have the time to live out their passions.  You might spend hours every night watching television and not doing very much on the weekends either.  This time might be your relaxing time because you work so hard during the week. 

It is time to start cutting out all of the time wasted in your life going out with the guys, watching television, and doing things that are not productive.  You do have time to get started.  You just need to manage your time better.  Remember that you don’t have to complete an entire project once you get started.  If your project is hours and you have an extra hour each day then you can do a little bit at a time.  This will allow you to have something to look forward to each day also.

Building Creativity

Do you think you are not a creative person?  You actually might think you are creative and really not be at all. If you want to live out your passions and make them a reality then you need to be creative.  There are many ways you will need to creatively tackle barriers and make things happen.  The more creative you are the more successful you will be in your life.  Here are a few ways you can build creativity in your life.

Make creativity a game in everything you do.  When you come upon a circumstance you should give yourself the rules.  Think about the objectives and any obstacles or strategic constraints that might be a problem.  The more creative you are with these answers the better you are. 

When you are creative you also have to set goals.  Goals go with deadlines and you need to set a deadline with activities.  When you attach a deadline with tasks it actually makes them more exciting.  You also won’t procrastinate as much either.

Self expression is a very important aspect also.  You need to find every opportunity to express yourself that you can in a creative fashion.  Not only in a creative fashion but every opportunity.  When you look for opportunities to express yourself you are being creative in the process. 

Expressing yourself can be in the way you display dinner on the plate.  You might choose to dress up the meal with cranberries and garnishes.  You may change the way you do a presentation at work and completely changing the style from the way your work does it.  View every activity as a way to express yourself and be creative. 

Allow more focus in your life.  The best things you can do for yourself is eliminating distractions and noise when you focus on an activity.  When you focus on an activity really hard you will see opportunities and qualities about it.  If you really cannot pay attention to something then it really is boring.  Again, find ways to make it exciting. 

When you are working on activities that seem like they are boring then you should view them as smaller pieces of a bigger picture.  You need to see the big picture of things and every aspect of an activity.

Walk around your home

If you are having a hard time figuring out what your true passion is it may be sitting right in front of you.  You may have collections of items like figurines, magazines, hobbies you like to do on the weekends and more. Take a look around your home and see if some of the decorations are a clue to what your true passion is.  You might be surprised you have surrounded yourself with items and not even realized it.

Happiness Peak experiences

Dreams are important, however, turning dreams into reality requires some work and honesty on your part. First, examine your skills and your capabilities. Your capabilities are very important when you are thinking about taking your dreams and making something of them.  You need to think about peak experiences and existing talents you have that you can use toward making your dreams come true. Understanding what skills you have can also help you build the confidence you need to be successful.

What do I mean when I say peak experiences? Your peak experiences include times in your life where you excelled.  You don’t have to have won an award. These peak experiences include the best times of your life.  What are some of the things you have done in your life that you really enjoyed you wish you could do again? Consider some of the accomplishments you have made.

Existing talents you have today can be used to help you achieve your goals.  Are you good at organizing or marketing?  You might be good at something you don’t even realize you are good at.  These things could be making announcements about events, making phone calls, baking, gardening, and more.

You don’t have to have be an expert or have huge talent. You may have the knowledge about something that you enjoy very much.  Maybe you have an interest that you like to read about and this is your hidden passion.  Think about something you are very knowledgeable about because you choose to be, not because you are required to be at work.

Some of the highest times in your life may be the passion you wish you had back in your life.  You might have used to be a runner and always wanted to win the New York City Marathon but now you are a smoker and have written that dream off years ago.  That doesn’t mean you cannot get back into shape and go for your big dream.

Everyone is good at something.  If you don’t have a hobby like making candles, beaded jewelry, or working on cars on the weekends it doesn’t mean you don’t have a skill.  This just means that you haven’t quite figured out what your skill is yet.  You need to know what it is that interests you the most.  The majority of people are very good at what they do when they enjoy it

Happiness is?

The Beatles said Happiness is a warm gun, I love the song, but I think that idea of happiness is  more complex than this.

Questions to Ask Yourself

There are many people out there who are living their life as they want to.  They are working hard doing what they absolutely love to do.  The most successful people are those who work toward the things they are passionate about and love.  There are many reasons for this.  The more you love what you do the harder you are going to work at it because you will be enjoying your work.

Do you feel like you are bored with your life or not doing what you should be doing with it? If so then maybe it is time to make a change.  Yes, there may be obstacles or fears holding you back from accomplishing the goals you have set forth in your life.  But isn’t time to get past the obstacles and try to make your dreams happen?

One of the obstacles is self-imposed, and that is the fact that many people aren’t quite sure what their true passion is.  These people want to work toward being successful but they just aren’t sure what it is that they can do.  Finding your passion is possible but it will take some deep searching within yourself.  Your passion may be right in front of you and you don’t even realize it.

Here is a little known secret, every passion has the capability of making money.  It is just seeing the angle you need to take to make this happen.  Don’t  sit around and avoid your passion because you don’t think you could financially survive on living it,  because you can.  However, if you look for your passion with the idea of making money, you won’t, seek your passion, find it, work at it, and money will come, you need to search for your passion  because working at your passion will make you happy and fulfilled.

When you are looking for your true passion because you seek happiness in your life or that there is a gap you need to fill there are many questions you need to ask yourself. 

Carefully answering these questions will help you understand more about yourself and possibly what might be holding yourself back from being happy and pursuing your passions.  Here are many questions you should ask yourself.  You might want to get out a notepad to answer these questions or just make a mental note.  Writing the answers down is usually better because writing the answer down forces you to make the idea real. By making the idea real, you may decide to take action.

What really inspires and engages you?

This question may be a little difficult to answer but you may find the answer after you finish the rest of the questions.  However, you need to be very clear about where you get your inspiration from.  What are the types of things you find engaging and exciting? 

If you couldn’t fail, what would you do?

Many people don’t do things because they are afraid to fail or they have failed in the past.  If there is something that you would do for sure if you knew there isn’t a chance whatsoever of failing what would that be? 

If you were forced to start over again, what would you do?

Many people find themselves in situations where they have fallen into a situation where they are not doing as they wish they were.  They go to work because they have to not enjoying a single day of it.  If you started over again would you take advantage of the new beginning or would you go back to where you are?  What would you do?

If money wasn’t an issue, what would you do?

Many people have dreams they wish to pursue but they never attempt to move forward with the dreams because they cannot afford to get started.  Think of what you would love to do if you had the money to do it.  This can be anything.

What is your biggest dream?

If you have a big dream, what is it?  There must be something you really want to do that you dream about.  Think about this one thing and focus on it.

What is the biggest barrier stopping you from following your dream?

Name all of the things that have caused you to not follow your big dreams.  These things could be people who do not support you, money, fears, and other things.  There are many different types of barriers which can be overcome.  You might not see opportunity or success with your dreams or you may fear that people would make fun of you.  You might not even be skilled and lack talent.  These could be barriers causing you not to move forward.

What passion are you afraid of owning or admitting?

Many people have dreams and passions they are afraid to talk about out of fear of being made fun of by other people.  You might think your passion is silly to other people.  What is this one thing?

As a child, what did you really want to be?

Did you have dreams of becoming someone as a child and it didn’t turn out quite as expected?  Do you still wonder what it would have been like if you did follow your dreams as a child?  If you had the opportunity, would you follow this dream today?

If you were going to die in the near future, what would you regret not doing?

Many people have regrets when they realize they are going to die real soon.  It is often too late for many people to go back and change the things they missed out on.  They would have lived their lives completely differently if they had the chance.  If a doctor told you that you hadn’t any time left but a few weeks, then what would your regrets be?  What would you want to do before your time was up?

Now that you have answered these questions you should have a good idea of some of the things that make you happy. You may also have a clearer idea of your dreams. 

Just think about if you won the lottery and what you would do with the money.  What would you do with yourself?  Knowing these things is very important.

In my next post on this topic I will discuss some ideas on Peak Experiences and Existing Talents

Golf lessons

Last month when I was in Australia, a friend of my daughters asked me if  would like to join him and two of his friends golfing at the local golf course in Mansfield. I agreed as the weather was great and I thought it would be fun to go out and enjoy my first time out this year in another country. So the young man came with some old clubs, similar to the clubs I used when I first started golfing 30 years ago and away we went. The day was beautiful, the course was not crowded, which was a good thing.

I went out and my first ball went into the trees about 30 meters of the tee, the group was polite and no one laughed. My second shot was better and I ended the Par 4 with a 6. However, every drive off the tee for the rest of the game was not as good as my first drive. I was able to salvage some second and third shots, but at the end of the day I ended up with a score that was on par with how I had played 10 years ago when I re-discovered golf as a game. Australians are a fun and sport loving people, but I found out they were also polite and very forgiving, and at the end of the game, when I offered to pay for a round of drinks I was refused because I was a visitor.

About a week later, my daughter was out and we were babysitting and an friend of my daughters phoned and I answered. We talked and in our conversation it turned out that he was friends with the two men I had golfed with on the previous week. I mentioned that I my game was terrible and he said, I heard that as well. I also mentioned the fact I was impressed with how nicely I had been treated and asked him to pass on my thanks to his friends.

I went out again with a retired pro for four holes when we were visiting Adams mom who lives on a golf course in Melbourne. As we made the rounds his comment was that I should take some lessons as I really did not know what I was doing but that I had some potential. He was nice about it and said that if I took three lessons, one on form, one on driving and one on short game I could bring my score done to the high 90's. He gave me some tips but was clear that he was not giving me lessons and I should consider getting lessons when I returned to Canada.

My wife and I went back to the Mansfield golf course about two weeks later, again the course was not crowded and although we only golfed nine holes my score was 50, and I was able to use a few of the tips I had learned earlier. I think golf is a counter intuitive game, the harder I try the worse I get, so when I was out with my wife, I was relaxed and not trying hard so I did better.

So as I move into the next phase of my life, I will consider taking some lessons just to see if I can learn to break one hundred consistently.

Being Present in the moment

When we achieve being loving with ourselves and others, life becomes the joy it is meant to be.  Learning to love yourself starts with learning to be present in the moment inside your body, and try to stay positive even when dealing with negative people. The bottom-line is that we should not instantly label someone negative just because their thoughts or ideas don’t align perfectly with ours.  When we have given them a fair and diligent look at both positions and they are obviously being negative for negative’s sake… we need a plan for how to make the most of the situation. Here are some ideas:

Success in life does not come from pacification or avoidance. To make consistent progress forward we have to consciously address the issues in our lives.  So what are steps we can take to make the most of the negative people and circumstances around us?

1. Look closely at what they are saying as an opportunity to check your own views and attitude. As Barbara Streisand (or for the younger one's the cast of GLEE) said in one of the songs,  "Don't Rain on my Parade", but if they are look to see what you can gain from their rain.

2. What is their motivation.  The easiest way to feel better about ourselves is by comparison to those that are in worse circumstances and some people are very good at doing this. However, focusing inward and striving for our personal best is rewarding way to feel better.

3. Remember that you are in charge of your situation and you should take 100% responsibility for your environment.  So often we think that it is the job, the boss the other person who  is responsible for our plight and we look for another situation  We have lost sight of the fact they have no control, we have the control and we need to regain it. Negative people and circumstances will always be with us. Try to be excited about that. without negative people there cannot be positive people. Do you want a world with no challenges, failures, or heartbreak? If so, you’ll have to deal with a world without achievement, success, and love.

Don't Quit

In an earlier post I talked about the poetry of life. I was given the following and I thought I would share. I think it points out that we need to think about living

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will
When the road your trudging seems all up hill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh
When care is pressing you down a bit
Rest! if you must; but don't you quit.


Life is queer with its twist and turns
As everyone of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about
When she might have won had he stuck it out;
Don't give up, though the pace seems slow;
You might succeed with another blow

Often the goal is nearer than
It seems to a faint and faltering man.
Often the struggler has given up
When she might have captured the victor's cup.
And he learned too late, when the night slipped down
How close she was to the golden crown

Success is failure turned inside out;
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt
An you never can tell how close you are
It may be near when it seems afar;
so stick to the fight when you're hardest hit;
It's when things seem worse that you mustn't quit

Poem written by anonymous
 What is the poetry of your life at this time, are you thinking about quitting or success. If it is about quitting then I would encourage you to stay with it for a bit longer.

Goal setting

It's not who you think you are that holds you back. It's who you think you are not!

The following information is taken from my book "Starting Your Own Business", first published in 1988.

The first step to becoming successful is becoming an expert on yourself and understanding the reasons you want to be successful. Without strong goals you may never consider yourself successful. Goal setting is important to success in life and in business.

Most people do not set goals for themselves. Our reasons vary. I believe that most of us don't understand the value in setting goals. We, therefore, see no gain for ourselves by setting goals.

Do you feel this way? Ask yourself: What short term and long term goals have I set for myself? Have I written them down? How close am I to achieving my goals?

To reach your goal and be successful, you must see yourself achieving the action at which you wish to be successful. To do this you should have a clear picture in your mind.

You must see yourself achieving the goal to believe that you will. Some call this the power of visualization. Others call it the "movie of the mind" or the "as if action." If you believe your success is dependent on others not yourself, then your self-image may not allow you to become successful.

To have a clear picture and to do the "as if action" required to be successful, you need to understand the following. Defining your personal and business goals is not an easy task. It requires an understanding of yourself and an understanding of the power of goal setting. The principle of visualization or the "As if Action" helps us understand.

You can change self-image. The subconscious control’s self image, but the subconscious cannot tell the difference between imagined success and real success. Review the imagined success in detail using all the senses. We learn self image over the years as people told us what we could or could not do. What you imagine with frequency as real becomes your own version of reality.

Ask yourself: What are my dreams for the future? What are some of my talents? What am I not good at? Why? Do I have a positive self image? If you cannot answer these questions positively, ask yourself why?

One thing will hold you back. That thing is Fear. Ask yourself what you are afraid of? After you know what you are afraid of, then you need to ask what the results of this fear? Finally, you need to ask if you can live with the results of the fear. If you can, then you should continue. If you cannot, then you need to re evaluate. Remember: Fear neither causes the events that you fear to happen, nor can it prevent them from happening

To overcome fear and increase your self-image, remember self-image is a conceptual, visual, display of self-esteem. Take stock of those images with which you display yourself: clothes, autos, home, garage, closet, dresser drawers, desks, photos, gardens, and cars. Make it a priority to sharpen these expressions of your life.

Write a two-page resume of your professional and personal assets. Write it as if you were going to apply for the job of your life. Read this autobiography twice a day. Instead of writing a past resume, write it in the future tense. List your maximum current potential and future potential. Listen to inspirational tapes. Listening sparks the imagination.


In 21 days by using self-instruction cards and visualization, you can take steps to start changing your life. Here is how it works. Write down your goals on index cards. Make them simple, one goal per card. Write them in the first person present tense. Read these cards twice a day for 21 days. Practice visualization as you read the card.

A Sample Self instruction:

Nobody makes me feel guilty about being successful, if anybody cannot handle my success, tough. I will find new friends that can. I love success, I work hard for what I get, so I deserve it all

I guarantee that one of two events will happen.

1. You will move closer to your goals within 21 days or

2. You will stop reading the card.

By following the above steps you will make your movie of your mind come alive for you. You will be that much closer to reaching your goals.